Timeline

1975: Minister for Commerce and Industry Justin Keating introduces licensing terms for offhsore exploration and production, including provision for 50% State participation

1987: Minister for Energy Ray Burke introduces new licensing terms, abolishing State royalties and State participation, and introduces 100% tax write-offs for exploration and development costs on 30 September, before return of Dáil

October 1996: Enterprise Oil discovers the Corrib gas field 80 kilometres off the northwest coast of Mayo. Enterprise Energy Ireland incorporated in Bahamas

April 2000: First notices of Corrib gas projects in Mayo newspapers

July 2000: Government passes Gas (Amendment) Act of 2000

September 2000: Bertie Ahern introduces Statutory Instrument 110, transferring powers over production pipelines from Department of Public Enterprise to Department of the Marine and Natural Resources

October, 2000: Bord Gais outlines plans to construct pipeline from North Mayo to Craughwell, Co. Galway, on behalf of the Corrib co-venturers—Enterprise, Statoil and Marathon.

November, 2000: Enterprise Energy Ireland (E.E.I.) applies for planning permission for an onshore terminal for Corrib at Bellanaboy, North Mayo.

January, 2001: Mayo Co. Council seeks more information from E.E.I. after local concerns are raised.

April, 2001: E.E.I. submits a new planning application for the onshore terminal.

June, 2001: Mayo Co. Council seeks further information on the second planning application for the onshore terminal.

July, 2001: E.E.I. sumits this further information. Meanwhile, the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Mr. Frank Fahey, hosts a public meeting on offshore licensing aspects of Corrib in Geesala, Co. Mayo.

August 3rd, 2001: Mayo Co. Council grants planning permission for the onshore terminal, with conditions. This is immediately appealed to An Bord Pleanála by residents and environmental groups.

August 24th, 2001: Minister Fahey, during a debate on Corrib gas, tells the Humbert Summer School in Ballina that the objectors are holding up progress in the west.

October, 2001: The Minister for the Marine denies claims made in the Dáil by Mayo Fine Gael TD, Michael Ring, that he has been interfering in the planning process in relation to the Corrib project.

2001 Budget, 25% Corporation Tax was reduced to 16.5% which will finally be reduced to 12.5% at the behest of the oil industry!

November 16th, 2001: Mr. Fahey issues a petroleum lease for Corrib gas field—the first new production lease in the last 30 years.

November 21st, 2001: E.E.I. submits new environmental impact statement to the Department of Marine and Natural Resources in support of application to construct a natural gas pipeline from sub-sea facilities to the terminal at Bellanaboy bridge. The company also applies for approval of its plan of development, a foreshore licence, and consent to construct the pipeline.

February, 2002: An Bord Pleanála opens its oral hearing in Ballina on the appeal against planning permission for the onshore terminal.

September, 2002: E.E.I. submits further information to An Bord Pleanála and denies reports that it may “abandon” the Corrib field.

November, 2002: An Bord Pleanála holds unprecedented second oral hearing into the E.E.I. terminal application. The two oral hearings have now lasted 22 days, making them the second longest in the board’s history.

December, 2002: E.E.I. and former Minister Fahey deny claims in a Channel 4 news report that “huge pressure” was exerted on Mayo Co. Council’s planning office to grant permission for the controversial terminal. E.E.I. also refutes a suggestion that it has chosen a highly dangerous route for the 8km pipeline from the seashore to the termainl at Bellanaboy.

March, 2003: E.E.I. again denies claims that it intends to “plug” the Corrib Field for a period of 20 years.

April, 2003: An Bord Pleanála overturns Mayo Co. Council’s decision to grant planning permission for the gas terminal. E.E.I. expresses disappointment with the outcome and announces that it is now considering the future of the Corrib gas project.

September, 2003: Enterprise Energy Ireland announces that it intends to submit a new planning application to Mayo County Council for an onshore gas terminal.

December, 2003: A new planning application is submitted by E.E.I., now known as Shell E&P Ireland. It includes revised plans for the removal of large quantities of peat from the terminal site.

February, 2004: Former civil servant and ‘Irish Man of the Twentieth Century’, Mr TK Whitaker, expresses concerns over the plans for an onshore Corrib gas terminal. Mr Whitaker owns a holiday home in Bangor.

March, 2004: Mayo County Council requests further information from the company on a number of issues pertaining to the application. The information is submitted within weeks.

April, 2004: Mayo County Council grants planning permission subject to a total of 75 conditions. Objectors immediately indicate that they intend to appeal the decision to An Bord Pleanála.

October, 2004: Shell is granted planning permission by An Bord Pleanála for the Bellanaboy gas terminal. The company announces that work will commence immediately. Residents say they are disgusted with the decision.

January, 2005: Preparatory work for the removal of peat from the terminal site begins at Bangor. Shell publishes details of a traffic management plan for the duration of the work.

April, 2005: Proceedings are instituted in the High Court to prevent residents obstructing the construction of the gas pipeline at Rossport. The High Court grants Shell the right to access private lands in the village for the installation of the pipeline. Meanwhile, it is revealed that Shell employed a company of which it is a substantial shareholder to conduct an ‘independent’ audit of the pipeline’s safety.

June, 2005: Five residents from Rossport are jailed for contempt of court for refusing to obey the High Court order not to interfere with the construction of the Corrib gas pipeline. The men vow to stay in prison until they get justice.

Families and supporters of the Rossport Five commence round the clock picketing at Rossport, Bellinaboy and Glengad: Shell pipeline sites in Mayo.

July, 2005: National rallies held in support of the Rossport Five in Castlebar, Belmullet, Ballina, Dublin.

Natural Resources Minister Noel Dempsey orders a further safety review of the Corrib Gas pipeline with a view to ending the standoff between Shell and local residents in Co Mayo.

Minister Dempsey said Marine and Natural Resources Dept officials had carried out an inspection at the Shell onshore site and subject to further legal advice, it was his view that a serious breach of the consents given to Shell in relation to the pipeline had occurred. He ordered Shell to dismantle three kilometres of gas pipeline that it had assembled in north Mayo.

August, 2005: Marine and Natural Resources Minister, Noel Dempsey, granted Shell permission to lay the 75 kilometres of pipeline from the Corrib Field to the North Mayo coastline.

Shell E&P Ireland defers laying the offshore pipeline for the Corrib gas project until 2006. Shell said the temporary suspension ''will not materially affect the project's completion schedule'', and will ''allow for a period of discussion and dialogue''.

Shell announces that it is to lay off 128 workers at the Corrib gas pipeline in Co Mayo. National rally in support of the Rossport 5 held in Galway. Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources Noel Dempsey announces a further safety review.

September, 2005: Family and supporters visit Norway and meet Statoil and public representatives. Rossport Five appear before Mr Justice Finnegan in the High Court.

1 October, 2005: Thousands rally in support of Rossport Five in Dublin.

12 October, 2005: A two-day public consultation organised by the Department of the Marine is held in Geesala, Co. Mayo

25 October, 2005: Rossport Five appear before Mr Justice Finnegan in the High Court

31 October, 2005: The Minister announced that he had appointed Mr Peter Cassells, a former general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, to mediate between Shell E&P and the Rossport residents

11th September - Solitaire forced to withdraw from Broadhaven bay after its pipe laying appartus became damaged. The previousday several people had been arrested while blocking roads and Pat O'Donell and his son had been arrested again to prevent them fishing the bay.

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Blast from the Past

Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe’s first contact with a TD came about because he saw Clare Daly TD on ‘Tonight with Vincent Browne’ talking about policing of Corrib Gas protests, writes William Hederman

The repercussions for Garda whistleblowers Maurice McCabe and John Wilson will be familiar to others who have publicly embarrassed An Garda Síochána. They were clearly acting in the public interest, but their revelations brought the force into disrepute, and the two men suffered as a result. Revenge was exacted – not only by colleagues, but also by way of public denunciation by the Garda Commissioner (“disgusting”), the Minister for Justice (“not co-operating”) and by various other parties loyal to the force.